A polymer which has a main chain of polyalkyleneimine and formed by adding ethyleneoxide or the like to a nitrogen atom in polyalkyleneimine is also referred to as modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate and can act, for example, as a polymer-based builder. Such a polymer is indispensable as a component constituting a liquid detergent since it has a property of being soluble in the liquid detergent. When the modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate is comprised together with an activator in a detergent, the detergent will prevent recontamination due to soil having been removed by washing to exhibit high detergency.
With respect to such a detergent containing modified polyethyleneimine ethoxylate, JP Kokai Publication Hei 7-116473 (p. 8–10) discloses a builder composition for a detergent, which comprises an ethoxylated amine dispersant/redeposition inhibitor. This ethoxylated amine has an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —[(R5O)m(CH2CH2O)n]- (wherein R5 is C3–C4 alkylene or hydroxyalkylene, preferably propylene; when this amine is polyamine and an amine polymer, m is 0 to 10 and n is at least 3; and these polyoxyalkylene portions can be mixed to form a block), and is a polymer in which an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct is a soluble nonion group, an anion group and a mixture thereof. Examples of the nonion group may comprises C1–C4 alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl ester groups, ether groups, hydrogen, acetate and methyl ether, and examples of the anion group may comprises PO32− and SO3−.
JP Kohyo Publication Hei 11-508318 (p. 46–55) discloses a liquid washing detergent composition containing water soluble and/or dispersible modified polyamine having a functional main chain portion, which exerts an effect of releasing cotton soil. This modified polyamine is a polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —(R1O)mB (wherein R1 is C2–C6 alkylene and a mixture thereof, preferably ethylene; and m has a value of 4 to about 400), and an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct, represented by B, is hydrogen, C1–C6 alkyls, —(CH2)qSO3M, —(CH2)pCO2M, —(CH2)q(CHSO3M)CH2SO3M, —(CH2)q(CHSO2M)CH2SO3M, —(CH2)pPO3M, —PO3M (wherein M is a hydrogen or a water-soluble cation, which is sufficient for satisfying charge balance; p has a value of 1 to 6; and q has a value of 0 to 6).
Further, JP Kohyo Publication 2002-518585 (p. 11–16) discloses a washing detergent composition comprising alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine. This alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine is a polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct represented by —(R1O)m(R2O)nR3 (wherein R1 is 1,2-propylene, 1,2-butylene and a mixture thereof, preferably 1,2-propylene; R2 is ethylene; R3 is hydrogen, C1–C4 alkyls and a mixture thereof, preferably hydrogen or methyl, more preferably hydrogen; m is about 1 to about 10; and n is about 10 to about 40.), and an end structure of the alkyleneoxide adduct is hydrogen, C1–C4 alkyls and a mixture thereof.
However, in these prior arts, when the polymer is used in the use of a detergent, there was a room to contrive the structure of the polymer having an alkyleneoxide adduct for the purpose of improving the detergency by rendering the polymer more favorable as a high polymer-based builder to adequately prevent recontamination or for the purpose of improving basic performance in another uses.